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Author Topic: WH40K discussion thread: [loading grimdark, please wait]  (Read 1048228 times)

Loud Whispers

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Re: WH40K general discussion thread: Lictor, P.I.
« Reply #12345 on: January 12, 2024, 08:57:37 am »

Since it's the most interesting thing this thread has talked about in months and isn't another permutation on "which horoscope sign would the Primarchs have", I'm going to post some more about my thoughts for the factions and timeline of Only Peace.

Spoiler: Timeline (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Alien Factions (click to show/hide)

Spoiler: Human Factions (click to show/hide)

"It is the 51st Millennium. For more than a hundred centuries the Emperor has dreamed interred within the Golden Tomb of Earth. He was the Master of Mankind by the will of the dead gods, and master of a million worlds by the might of his inexhaustible clerks. Now he is a lifeless husk watched over by silent guardians, the last vestiges of the brutal darkness the galaxy once dwelled in. Now amidst the light and promise of the milky way, he is the martyred saint of the galaxy for whom a thousand bells toll every day, so that the memory of the fallen may never truly die.

Mighty tradefleets cross the stars, the unstable warp-routes tamed by the fusion of human necessity and alien ingenuity, ever-tended to by the technicians of the Mechanicus Orthodoxy, who still jealously guard the secrets of their forbidden arts. Their way is lit by beacons set by powerful navigator lords; psykers of potent potential and social pre-eminence amongst the witch kings of the corporate guilds. Vast armies parade and drill, ever-vigilant for threats long dead but not yet extinct, their masters constantly pressing the bureaucratic overlords of the administratum for yet more rations, yet more munitions, and yet more pay.

Ancient war machines patrol worlds which now know only peace. Their burnt hulls bear the marks of weapons that have not been fired in anger in milennia. Slumbering dreadnoughts and calm machine spirits of vast war machines whisper tales to those little ones willing to listen of the ages where they saw gods walk amongst men and the skies burned at the turning of a hand. A few still may be fortunate enough to encounter an explorator fleet, and be reminded that the god-machines of myth, still blare their war horns in praise of the omnissiah.

To be a man in such times is to be one amongst untold trillions. It is to live in the utmost bureaucratic and roguish regime imaginable. These are the tales of those times. Remember the power of ambition and trust, for so much has been recovered, and so much has been learned. Remember the cost of sacrifice and heroism, for it is their legacy that bought peace amongst the stars, an eternity of competition and discovery. For in the grey, dimly lit future there is only peace, and the laughter of mirthful children."

Grim Portent

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12346 on: February 12, 2024, 05:42:29 am »

So I've got this goofy WHF idea that's been rattling around for a few years, and I don't think I've ever shared it here.

So the idea is a halfling who has become the leader of a company of ogre Maneaters. This little fat guy, maybe three feet tall in boots with a thick sole, leading a few dozen giant cannibalistic warriors.

His name? William Willowfoot, better known as Willy the Biter.

Willy was originally enslaved by the ogres to be their cook, but eventually in a fit of exasperation at the conditions he had to work in he declared he could run things better than the maneater leader, which prompted a condescending and mocking 'challenge' for leadership, a joke the ogres found rather amusing. Much to everyone's surprise, including his own, Willowfoot won through.... unorthodox methods that earned his monicker of Biter.

Since coming to power he has faced no challenges, with some ogres saying they'd rather fight the Gutsman* himself than the Biter. His leadership has been remarkably effective, halfling cooks are no strangers to organising a rabble of unruly folk when trouble comes, or keeping people well fed on a budget, and can be shrewd negotiators. What he lacks in personal intimidation factor is compensated for by his rather hefty underlings.

Willy himself is carried on a reinforced metal disc by a gaggle of gnoblars, to better look his mostly human enemies and clients in the eyes, clad in a miniature imitation of ogre war gear, gutplate and all, with a massive feathered hat sat atop an open faced helmet, a pistol in one hand and a heavy butcher's knife in the other.



*Bragg the Gutsman is an ogre character, and the most feared of all their kind by other ogres. Bragg is basically an executioner/grim reaper figure, using a magical hooked blade to carve ogres open around the gutplate, spilling their guts to the ground. For ogres this is an especially painful and long death, as they don't die until their intestines fully unspool, and they have a lot of intestines, and while resistant to most pain this is excruciating for them. This sort of killing is just about the only taboo way to kill an ogre, so while all ogres respect and fear Bragg for his deadly skill, none are willing to follow him for long, for fear of having their own guts spilled, so Bragg spends most of his time wandering from tribe to tribe with only gnoblars to accompany him.
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Jopax

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12347 on: March 10, 2024, 05:45:43 pm »

I've been diving back into 40k in general lately (mostly listening to podcasts and stuff about the lore to pass time at work) and  jamming out to the Mechanicus OST.

An idea occurred to me. A factory building game in vein of Factorio or DSP except you're a high ranking Magos tasked with building up a new forgeworld. You get some stuff to start with and get going and then after a bit the imperial war effort starts making demands that must be met, all the while juggling and optimizing the ever growing factory.

Maybe have preset stuff where you're sent into an existing factory to make it better too.

A grimdark factory builder is something I really wanna see now and I'm not entirely sure why :V
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nenjin

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12348 on: March 10, 2024, 06:17:35 pm »

Well we already got a grimdark cleaning simulator. Only a matter of time, really.
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Loud Whispers

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12349 on: November 12, 2024, 03:21:31 pm »

I've been diving back into 40k in general lately (mostly listening to podcasts and stuff about the lore to pass time at work) and  jamming out to the Mechanicus OST.

An idea occurred to me. A factory building game in vein of Factorio or DSP except you're a high ranking Magos tasked with building up a new forgeworld. You get some stuff to start with and get going and then after a bit the imperial war effort starts making demands that must be met, all the while juggling and optimizing the ever growing factory.

Maybe have preset stuff where you're sent into an existing factory to make it better too.

A grimdark factory builder is something I really wanna see now and I'm not entirely sure why :V
There's also loads of fun in how different each Magos could take things. Could make a fun forum game. Bring your explorator fleet/forge world/research outpost to glory and knowledge

In bright news: I finished my dark heresy campaign. "Finished" in the sense that the players achieved all their goals, rescued the missing Inquisitor, thwarted an entire heretic plot and daemonic incursion with minimal casualties. Unfinished in the sense that the players still have no idea who they were fighting as they killed every single lead and openly accused a Lord Inquisitor of heresy without any evidence. So we're going to do a follow-up campaign in January to deal with the sheer mass of fallout they've generated

nenjin

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12350 on: November 12, 2024, 03:44:52 pm »

Time for them to be renegades and hunted by the Inquisition!
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Cautivo del Milagro seamos, Penitente.
Quote from: Viktor Frankl
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
Quote from: Sindain
Its kinda silly to complain that a friendly NPC isn't a well designed boss fight.
Quote from: Eric Blank
How will I cheese now assholes?
Quote from: MrRoboto75
Always spaghetti, never forghetti

Loud Whispers

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12351 on: November 12, 2024, 06:37:29 pm »

Time for them to be renegades and hunted by the Inquisition!
Originally I had planned for them to be cut off from all their support and doing a guerilla warfare campaign like this, but they've managed to skilfully make an absolute pigs breakfast of things politically

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Politically, they've acted so unsubtly and obviously through all the branches of the Imperial adepta that simply declaring them traitors isn't a fantastic solution. At least - their own homeworld would ignore such a command, the subsector Inquisitorial HQ would investigate such an extraordinary claim, and with a combination of system defence ships + the rogue trader's fleet + the sororitas fleet + their own grand cruiser, they have enough firepower that a direct confrontation would result in a complete Inquisitorial war that could drag in the wider Ordos. It's also that they've only accused him of heresy, but don't have strong evidence or even a theory of heresy.

I'm thinking "If I'm a Lord Inquisitor and I want to save humanity, preserve my power and acquire all my forbidden tech" whilst someone is clumsily trying to unearth whatever secrets I'm hiding, the easiest solution is to placate them, tell them they're on the same side, send them to go chase after a real heretic and try to get them tragically martyred in the process? I'm thinking of sneaky plots. Stuff like someone fucking with their ship's Gellar field. Someone giving the heretics headsup that they're coming. Real suspicious coincidences that vaguely have the hands of someone powerful behind them but nothing concrete, and the closer they get to the truth, the more obvious it becomes that the power behind the throne is Imperial in nature (e.g. a full blown eversor assassin attack)

Egan_BW

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12352 on: November 12, 2024, 08:06:30 pm »

TBH I love your players' strategy of basically just shooting the heretics and hoping that it works out if they shoot enough of the heretics.
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Loud Whispers

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12353 on: November 12, 2024, 10:23:47 pm »

TBH I love your players' strategy of basically just shooting the heretics and hoping that it works out if they shoot enough of the heretics.
I'm just proud that they successfully learned how to open a bulkhead door without blowing it up

Egan_BW

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12354 on: November 12, 2024, 10:31:42 pm »

Does it involve sawing through?
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Loud Whispers

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12355 on: November 12, 2024, 10:40:12 pm »

Does it involve sawing through?
I wish I was joking but when I placed a temporary ban on melta bombs they learned how to use melta paste instead

They will do anything except pick tech-use

Grim Portent

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12356 on: November 13, 2024, 07:32:40 am »

I was like that with psychic powers myself.

If you can't solve a problem with telepathy or bio-lightning then you need more telepathy or bio-lightning.

My brother's group always liked unloading autocannons at anything and everything. Tough enemy? Autocannons. Tough door? Autocannons. Being impeded by bureacrats? Autocannon based intimidation.
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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12357 on: November 13, 2024, 10:26:43 am »

There's one book, I think the anarchist's cookbook, which recommends gelignite for lockpicking, on the basis that lockpicks are only useful if you don't want people to know you were there.
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nenjin

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12358 on: November 13, 2024, 02:00:32 pm »

Does it involve sawing through?
I wish I was joking but when I placed a temporary ban on melta bombs they learned how to use melta paste instead

They will do anything except pick tech-use

I feel this. In my Rogue Trader campaign the answer to almost every problem for them was "melta gun." They made it standard kit for the captain's House Guard.

Here's the thing about making them outlaws....all you need is another Inquisitor with a hard on for taking them down. Inquisitors can be independent operators with their own resources pools and "the Inqusition" isn't organized or monolithic enough to manage them each individually. So if what they did CAN look like heresy to an Inquisitor, you have an easy foil for them. And nothing in 40k makes for better villainy than blowing up someone's homeworld out of a misguided sense of justice.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2024, 02:33:37 pm by nenjin »
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Cautivo del Milagro seamos, Penitente.
Quote from: Viktor Frankl
When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.
Quote from: Sindain
Its kinda silly to complain that a friendly NPC isn't a well designed boss fight.
Quote from: Eric Blank
How will I cheese now assholes?
Quote from: MrRoboto75
Always spaghetti, never forghetti

Loud Whispers

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Re: WH40K discussion thread: from Tyran's heart I stab at thee.
« Reply #12359 on: November 13, 2024, 10:50:46 pm »

I was like that with psychic powers myself.

If you can't solve a problem with telepathy or bio-lightning then you need more telepathy or bio-lightning.

My brother's group always liked unloading autocannons at anything and everything. Tough enemy? Autocannons. Tough door? Autocannons. Being impeded by bureacrats? Autocannon based intimidation.
"This is my fast lane pass. It costs 250,000 thrones to use it for twelve seconds. Some people think they can outsmart me. Maybe. But I have yet to meet bureaucrat who can outsmart fast lane pass."

There's one book, I think the anarchist's cookbook, which recommends gelignite for lockpicking, on the basis that lockpicks are only useful if you don't want people to know you were there.
Or you're some lockpickinglayweresque rogue who breaks into people's secure places unseen and undetected, only to leave a calling card and mysterious message in Victorian flower language

Here's the thing about making them outlaws....all you need is another Inquisitor with a hard on for taking them down. Inquisitors can be independent operators with their own resources pools and "the Inqusition" isn't organized or monolithic enough to manage them each individually. So if what they did CAN look like heresy to an Inquisitor, you have an easy foil for them. And nothing in 40k makes for better villainy than blowing up someone's homeworld out of a misguided sense of justice.
The original plan:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Where it all went terribly wrong
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Planning the Plan for the new Plan
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The surprises in stall for everyone
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

The New Plan
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Backup plans
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
I'm out of backup plans. Idk if the Deathwatch would get involved in this. They might if they end up crossing paths with Secunda Divinatus. I'll worry about that headache when it comes up XD

I feel this. In my Rogue Trader campaign the answer to almost every problem for them was "melta gun." They made it standard kit for the captain's House Guard.
I rate the meltagun up there with the rocket launcher for "best common heavy weapon for PCs." Fighting tank? Meltagun. Fighting xenos? Melta gun. Horde of infantry? Meltagun. Power armoured enemies? Meltagun!

Got to say I've also been having a blast with the Rogue Trader video game. It's a very faithful adaptation of the TTRPG somewhat let down by the ungodly quantity of loading screens. If they sorted out the loading screens I would rate it as a superb - mechanically, spiritually, it's fantastic. I could feel the utter love when I realised in your ship, one of the rooms has a really sick organ sound track. It only plays when the man on the organ is actually playing the organ.

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Do I complain too much? I hope not. It's a fantastic game. I spent like over 120 hours in my first playthrough. It's one of those things where it's harder to articulate what makes a game so good when everything about it is so good, and the things that suck are just a few things that hammer you in the face. I love the game, really ;D
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